Finished Objects: Kilmorey Cowls in Moss and Grey

Readers, let me tell you... when you sew a new garment practically every week for six months and then can't finish a single one for another six months, it reaps havoc on one's creative juices!  By the end of the year I was desperate to make something.  Anything.  So, did I hand-sew a dress?  Haha, no.  But, I did decide to take up a new creative hobby!

Lucky for me, my mom is brilliant with yarn and thread and is also a very patient teacher.  So, during my Christmas visit, I asked her to teach me the basics of knitting.  She showed me how to cast-on, knit, and purl and recommended I try a scarf first.  (I think she knew that if I couldn't wear it, I wasn't going to make it... no potholders for me haha.)

In part for practice and in part for near-instant gratification, I chose a cowl pattern using super-bulky wool and rather large circular needles (so large actually, the first two stores I tried didn't carry them).  This worked and after two short evenings of knit two, purl two, I had my first knit accessory.  Mind you, it's knit loosely and would probably look a bit sloppy to someone with yards of yarn experience but, I love it anyway.  In fact, I loved it so much, I immediately made it again, this time trying a little harder to focus on my stitches and tension.

Kilmorey #1, rambling Ravelry notes here
Scarf: handmade, Sweater: Brooks Brothers, Fox ring: Ebay

Kilmorey #2, Ravelry notes here
Scarf: handmade, Sweater: Ann Taylor, Shirt: Ralph Lauren, Skirt: Gap (thrifted)

Here are the deets Sew Weekly style:


Yarn:  ~117 yards Wool-Ease Thick & Quick in Grey Marble, $10.60 for two skeins and ~117 yards Loops & Threads Cozy Wool  in Moss Green, $7 for two skeins (funny that I used about the same amount of yarn, yet the grey version is 7 rows smaller!)
Pattern:  Kilmorey by Mrs Moon
Year:  Contemporary
Notions:  Nada. Wait, needles:  Size 19 circulars, ~$4
Time to complete:  if I'm being honest, about 5 or 6 hours for the grey version and probably 3 or 4 for the green
First worn:  January 2012
Wear again?  Both of them, absolutely!
Total cost:  $10.60 for the grey + $7 for the green = $17.60 ($21.60 if you count the needles)

The green one ended up shorter than the grey but, also has seven extra rows so, it's significantly warmer.  Now I have options for cool days when I want a looser scarf and for freezing days when I need the wool wrapped tightly around me (or if it's really, really freezing cold day, I could always layer them... I hope it doesn't come to that though.)  They're so cute and practical, I had to fight a small urge to just keep knitting cowls!  Can a girl ever have to many?  Not really.  Truthfully, scarves are probably my most-worn items when the cold sets in.  I've always had a thing against hats.  Which brings me to my next project: a red hat. Ha!  I can't wait to finish it to see if I actually wear it.  Then again, with Mother Nature being a frigid as she has been lately, I don't think I'll have much choice!

Have you taken up any new hobbies for the new year?  What are you working on to keep out the cold or to stay cool in the summer heat?

Happy stitching! x